PX8000 Precision Power Scope

The PX8000 is the world's first precision power scope, bringing oscilloscope-style time-based measurement to the world of power analyzers. With up to four channels, it can perform standard multi-phase power measurements. These measurements exist alongside oscilloscope-specific features such as cursor-based specific time period measurements to enable analysis of waveforms with transient components.

Transient power measurements and analysis

The PX8000 has a number of innovative features that support the crucial measurement and analysis of transient power profiles.

Simultaneous power calculation

Provides simultaneous voltage and current multiplication to give real-time power sampling.

Cycle-by-cycle power trend measurement

Trend measurements between waveforms can be calculated by mathematical functions (up to four million points).

Specific time-period measurement

Supports the capture of power parameters over specific periods of time through the definition of start and stop "cursors".

Specified time-period waveform measurement

Supports the capture of waveform parameters over specific periods of time through the definition of start and stop "cursors".

X-Y display and phase analysis

Supports X-Y axis displays as standard. It can also display lissajous waveforms of input and output for phase analysis.

Capturing sudden or irregular phenomena

An always-active History function automatically records up to 1,000 historical waveforms.

Long-period data capture and analysis

An accompanying PC application called PowerViewerPlus can be used to capture waveform data for further analysis.

FFT analysis

Features arithmetical, time-shift, FFT and other computations that enable users to display waveforms with offsets and skew corrections.

Simultaneous harmonic measurement

Makes it possible to simultaneously measure the harmonic components of voltage and current waves as well as the harmonic distortion factor.

Multifunction snapshots

Up to 16 different waveforms- including voltage, current and power, can be displayed side-by-side, giving engineers instant snapshots of performance.

Detailed transient analysis

Supports the measurement of all power waveform parameters between precisely defined start and stop cursors.

Trend calculation

Built-in functions for the direct calculation of variables, such as root mean square (RMS) and mean power values, to enable the identification of cycle-by-cycle trends.

De-skew compensation

Automatic de-skewing function eliminates offsets between current and voltage signals that may be caused by sensor or input characteristics.

Powered by isoPRO technology

Offers industry-leading isolation performance at the highest speeds. Delivers the performance needed to develop high-efficiency inverters that operate at high voltages, large currents, and high frequency.

The PX8000 is an immensely versatile instrument, unlocking precision power measurement capabilities for researchers working on everything from renewable power to advanced robotics.

Inverter and motor testing

Electric and hybrid vehicles have many electrical and mechanical components, and overall performance evaluation requires measuring the efficiency of both. The PX8000's flexibility, accuracy and wide bandwidth make it ideal for drawing together the range of power readings needed to optimize the efficiency of boost circuits and inverters- two key elements in overall electric vehicle performance.

Wide bandwidth

With a 12-bit resolution, 100 MS/s sampling, and 20MH bandwidth, the PX8000 can be used for accurate measurement of inverter pulse shaped, which can then be used to fine-tune inverter efficiency.

Transient measurement by cycle-by-cycle trend

The ability to analyze cycle-by-cycle trends makes it ideal for the measurement of transient effects. When the load changes rapidly, engineers can gain insights that will enable them to improve the control of the inverter.

Harmonic and FFT analysis

With both harmonic and FFT measurement capabilities, the PX8000 can measure fundamental waveforms from 20Hz to 6.4kHz. This is particularly useful for analyzing higher harmonic component and causes of noise in electromechanical systems.

Offset cancels by individual NULL function

A common problem when testing inverter motors is the presence of ambient noise that can mean test values are nonzero even before testing begins. The PX8000's offset capabilities mean such effects can be nullified and specific inputs can be isolated for testing and analysis.

Reactor loss measurement of inverter boost circuits

A reactor is used to filter out noise and boost voltage levels prior to the use of an inverter. It consists of an electromagnetic material core and a coil. A main focus for electrical engineers is to reduce power loss across the total inverter system, and reactor performance is of particular interest. There are two potential evaluation methods: direct loss measurement of the reactor and iron loss measurement. The PX8000 supports either methodology because it can accommodate both high frequency measurement and low-power-factor conditions.

Low-power-factor measurement

Higher sampling rates and broad bandwidth make the PX8000 particularly useful for testing devices, such as transformers and reactors that have lower power factors. It is particularly important to measure the precise power consumption of such devices at high frequency.

De-skew functionality

To analyze power consumption in low-power-factor devices it is particularly important to minimize any time differences between voltage and current caused by sensor input characteristics. The PX8000 provides precise de-skew adjustment to compensate for this time difference.

Core loss measurement under high frequency

Analyzing reactor core loss is an example of how the PX8000's user-defined functions can be utilized to provide an instant analysis of system performance. In the example below, core loss is calculated based on primary coil current and secondary coil voltage, while magnetic flux density (B) and magnetic field (H) are calculated by factoring in input frequency, cross-sectional area and other parameters. All values can be displayed directly by the PX8000.

Wireless charger efficiency measurement

The development of wireless charging technology for mobile devices like smartphones and tablet devices is a focus for research. Automotive manufacturers are looking into the possibility of charging electric vehicles wirelessly. Wireless charging depends on two electromagnetic coils being configured to support particular frequency profiles. Efficient power transfer and the prevention of power loss are naturally particularly important. The PX8000 is ideally suited for measuring such systems because of its ability to operate at high frequencies and low power factors.

Wireless charger efficiency evaluation

To evaluate the efficiency of wireless transfer, at least three power measurement elements are required. The PX8000, with its four input channels, can analyze the performance of the whole system simultaneously.

Low-power-factor device measurement

Higher sampling rates and broad bandwidth make it ideally suited for wireless power transfer systems. The PX8000 supports 12-bit resolution, sample rates of up to 100MS/s and a 20MHz bandwidth. The PX8000 supports the measurement of low-power-factor systems operating at very high frequencies.

De-skew functionality

Because the PX8000 provides a de-skew function, differences between voltage and current that are introduced by sensor and input characteristics can be compensated for and eliminated from the analysis of low-power-factor systems.

Power distribution

Power distribution systems have to maintain constant voltage and constant power during load switching or in the case of a short circuit. Distribution protectors or circuit breakers for three-phase electrical systems must therefore be tested at transient voltage and power levels. The PX8000 can capture fluctuation voltage and current waveform, calculate power parameters (including voltage and current values), determine an average over a specified period and display all values.

Simultaneous three-phase data capture

To evaluate three-phase electrical systems, at least three power measurement inputs are required. The PX8000 has up to four inputs and enables the simultaneous capture and display of voltage and current across all three phases.

Specific time-period measurement

For a true evaluation of distribution protection, it is necessary to measure a full cycle of voltage current and power values half a cycle after the recovery from a short circuit. The PX8000 can easily be set up to focus on such a specific period.

Harmonic and FFT analysis

The PX8000 has capabilities for both harmonic measurement and FFT for frequency analysis. The harmonic function can measure fundamental frequencies from 20Hz to 400kHz, and FFT has 1k to 100k points calculation across two channels. Such measurements are vital for identifying harmonic currents and identifying sources of noises.

Transient responses of industrial robots

To evaluate motor-driven robots, power consumption of all motors and controllers are measured throughout all operational speeds and action patterns. Design engineers need to measure inrush voltage, current and power over the pattern of repeated actions. Efficiency is calculated by comparing mechanical output with input power. During actual operating conditions, the time to accelerate and decelerate such motors can range from several hundred milliseconds to several seconds. As a PWM-driven motor rotates from the reset position to the top speed, the drive frequency from the rest position to the top speed, the drive frequency changes from DC to several hundred Hz. The PX8000 gives design engineers insight into power consumption and efficiency throughout a robot's operational performance.

Specific time-period analysis

Supports the measurement of waveform data between specific Start/Stop cursors. Combined with its multi-channel capabilities and its Long memory and History functions, this makes the PX8000 particularly useful in rating a robot's operational power consumption.

Efficiency measurement of boosters, inverters and motors

A single PX8000 unit can measure both the input/output power of inverters and the mechanical output of a motor. By installing three power units and one AUX module, the PX8000 can be configured to provide an instantaneous measure of component efficiency.

Transient measurement by trend computation

With its instantaneous power calculations, the PX8000 is ideal for evaluation and optimizing transient effects. Its cycle-by-cycle trend analysis provides further insights into this crucial area of robotics engineering.

Longer time-period measurement

To analyze some robotic operations, it may be necessary to perform cycle-by-cycle trend analysis over a long period of time. The PowerViewerPlus software extends this mathematical capability to enable deep insights to be obtained from the data.

Long phenomena capture

The large internal memory of up to 100M Points enable long term measurements to be made at high and appropriate sample rates.

The B9852MJ cable supplies power to the 700924, 700925 and 701921 differential probes* from the DL probe power con-nectors. (The probe power option is re-quired on the DL unit.)
* Cable only works with newer 700924, 700925 and 701921 probes that indicate "6VDC or 9VDC"at the probe input power connector.

The PZ4000 was developed for power measurement and waveform observation. It features a trend display for the measurement of transient power and a span measurement function. Despite having a wide bandwidth of DC-2 MHz, which facilitates the accurate measurement of switching control waveforms or fluctuating power and a fast sampling rate of 5 MS/s, it is capable of precise measurements at an accuracy of (±0.1% of reading +0.025% of range). It can analyze wide band distorted waveforms with a maximum of 5000 harmonic analysis orders.

The Power Analyzer Accuracy and Basic Uncertainty Calculator can be used to determine the uncertainty in voltage, current, and active power (watts) measurement values for various frequency ranges and wiring systems.